Hand held solid pet waste vacuum

ABSTRACT

A hand held solid pet waste vacuum is described, which allows the sanitary collection of solid pet waste from off of a variety of surfaces (for example dirt, snow, gravel or grass) into a disposable filter bag. The vacuum is powered by a rechargeable battery which can provide 50 clean-ups on a single 12 hour charge and a 30,000 rpm electric vacuum motor. Each disposable filter bag can hold one week&#39;s worth of solid pet waste (depending on pet breed and diet), and is completely sanitary, preventing pet waste from coming in contact with either the vacuum or the operator.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application 62/979,737 filed Feb. 21, 2020.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The field of the present invention generally relates to hand-held battery powered vacuum devices. In particular a device for the sanitary collection and disposal of solid pet waste.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Cleaning up after pets is a chore. Whether you clean up after every bathroom break or come back to tackle a yard full of accumulated waste there has been no clean and easy way to get this job done. Classic tools include a hand shovel, pooper scooper (with pinching blades closing below the waste), and individual plastic poop bags (flipped inside-out with your hand inside). The tools all come into direct contact with the waste, dirtying the tools and requiring them to be sanitized regularly. The inside-out poop bag is probably the most sanitary solution (although it can feel gross to hold waste through a thin barrier), but it only works well for a single pile of waste. It would be very difficult to use the small bags for a yard's worth of accumulated waste, and therefore results in the use of a lot of disposable plastic over time.

One inventor, Tory w, has developed a basic sanitary vacuum product, marketed as the Power Pooch Shovel by Pet Power Products LLC (detailed product information available at https://petpowerproducts.com/shop/product/pooch-power-shovel-3/), while this advancement is a good first step toward a novel solution, the device itself has presented with many clear drawbacks that the present application seeks to build-upon and remedy to create a gold standard vacuum based solid pet waste solution.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention uses vacuum suction to collect solid pet waste into sanitary disposable filter bags. The filter bags cover the intake and prevent solid pet waste from escaping into the collection chamber, allowing waste to be collected with minimal mess. Furthermore, using vacuum power to collect solid pet waste from the grass or ground will avoid the smearing and smashing that often results from using a shovel, pooper scooper, or individual plastic bags—ground and grass alike should be left as clean as possible. For convenience and ease of use, the unit is battery operated and rechargeable.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Preferred and alternative examples of the present invention are described in detail below with reference to the following Figure drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective rendering that shows one embodiment of a hand-held solid pet waste vacuum;

FIG. 2 is a front view of a hand-held solid pet waste vacuum;

FIG. 3 is a rear view of a hand-held solid pet waste vacuum;

FIG. 4 is a side view of a hand-held solid pet waste vacuum;

FIG. 5 is a side view of a hand-held solid pet waste vacuum;

FIG. 6 is a top view of a hand-held solid pet waste vacuum;

FIG. 7 is a bottom view of a hand-held solid pet waste vacuum;

FIG. 8 is a perspective rendering of the interior of the collection chamber in a fully opened position.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The invention shown in FIG. 1, FIG. 6 and FIG. 7 is one embodiment of a hand-held solid pet waste vacuum featuring an intake 1001, a lower collection chamber 1003, an upper collection chamber 1009, a collection chamber hinge 1002, two attachment nuts 1005, 1006, an extension tube 1004, a front handle 1007, and a top handle 1008.

The invention further shown in FIG. 3 reveals a power port for recharging 1010. The invention further shown in FIG. 4 and FIG. 5 further reveals a power on/off switch 1011.

The invention further shown in FIG. 8 shows the interior of the upper collection chamber 1009 and lower collection chamber 1003, in particular a bag flange 1012 to secure the disposable waste bag.

In one embodiment of the present invention, a hand held solid pet waste vacuum can be configured with a 22,000 rpm or 30,000 rpm motor (to quickly suction dog waste from grass, concrete, or even snow-covered ground into a plastic bag that removes for ease of waste disposal). In a further embodiment, the collection bag wraps around the vacuum's intake to prevent waste from touching any part of the device. In a further embodiment the collection bag can be biodegradable. In a further configuration of the present invention, it can provide up to 50 cleanups after a 12-hour charge via the included AC adapter. In a further configuration each disposable bag holds roughly a week's worth of solid waste.

In a further embodiment of the present invention, the lower collection chamber could have one or more small wheels on its base. In a further embodiment of the present invention the lower surface of the lower collection chamber could have one or more raised ridges running front to back allowing easier movements along the ground. 

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:
 1. A hand held solid pet waste vacuum, comprising: a rechargeable battery, an electric vacuum motor, a handle, a power switch in said handle, an extended vacuum tube, a hinged waste collection chamber, an intake situated on said hinged waste collection chamber, a hinge situated on said hinged waste collection chamber opposite said intake, a battery indicator light, a DC electrical charging port, a carrying strap.
 2. The hand held solid pet waste vacuum as in claim 1, wherein the electric vacuum motor operates at over 22,000 rpm.
 3. The hand held solid pet waste vacuum as in claim 1, wherein the electric vacuum motor operates at over 30,000 rpm.
 4. The hand held solid pet waste vacuum as in claim 1, wherein the rechargeable battery provides power for over 50 waste clean-ups.
 5. The hand held solid pet waste vacuum as in claim 1, further comprising a removable consumable waste collection bag.
 6. The hand held solid pet waste vacuum as in claim 5, wherein the removable consumable waste collection bag is a vacuum filter bag.
 7. The hand held solid pet waste vacuum as in claim 6, wherein the removable consumable waste collection bag wraps completely around the intake.
 8. The hand held solid pet waste vacuum as in claim 7, wherein the removable consumable waste collection bag prevents waste from making contact with the other parts of the hand held solid pet waste vacuum.
 9. The hand held solid pet waste vacuum as in claim 1, further comprising one or more small wheels on a lower surface of the waste collection chamber.
 10. The hand held solid pet waste vacuum as in claim 1, further comprising one or more raised ridges on a lower surface of the waste collection chamber, running lengthwise from said intake to said hinge.
 11. The hand held solid pet waste vacuum as in claim 10, wherein the electric vacuum motor operates at over 30,000 rpm and the rechargeable battery provides power for over 50 waste clean-ups; and further comprising a removable consumable waste collection bag, wherein said removable consumable waste collection bag is a vacuum filter bag and wherein the removable consumable waste collection bag wraps completely around the intake, and the removable consumable waste collection bag prevents waste from making contact with the other parts of the hand held solid pet waste vacuum. 